Refract
by Cinderella Starsend
Summary: Post Tenroujima Arc. A new guild member joined Fairy Tail during the Tenrou Team's absence, but there's more to the quietly capable mage than meets the eye. Kai seems like an average, eighteen year old loner, but time is running out for the enigmatic youth. The past that Kai is so intent to bury is catching up and soon, he'll have to face them as the girl he always tried to hide.
1. Chapter 1

It had been about seven years since Fairy Tail's top wizards vanished along with Tenrou Island. Since that day, everything had gone into a downward spiral and eventually, they found themselves at the very bottom of the rankings. Just like that, the guild lost the fire that brought it to life and kept everything together. Even then, Guild Master Macao did everything in his power to keep things afloat despite their waning strengths. But it was all grown men and women now, aside from Romeo and their newest member, Kai.

Kai was a slight boy with ink black hair and quiet violet eyes. He was a tiny thing when he showed up at the run down guild's doors five years ago and he hadn't seemed to grow much since then. But Kai was never one for many words, nor was he one for socializing. Macao and the other men tried to coax him out of the shell he came with, but they'd had no luck. He was stubbornly aloof and decidedly taciturn, but Kai was a capable magician.

"Kai, you're back so soon," Macao called to the lone figure perched at the far corner of the tiny tavern.

The boy with the black newsboy cap tilted his head up and peered over to the Guild Master with a short nod.

"Bisca and Alzack are about to head out with Romeo for a mission," he said. "You should join them!"

"No thanks…" Kai murmured from behind the blue scarf wound around his neck.

"Leave him alone, Dad," Romeo said suddenly. "He just got back from a job. He's probably tired."

Kai's eyes slid over to Romeo, but the younger boy inexplicably flushed and turned away with haste. Luckily, Macao didn't seem to notice anything amiss as he sighed, realizing that his only son was right. He jumped at every chance, but he was never able to get Kai to team up and bond with his guildmates. Macao couldn't help but think that if their old friends were here, then the boy would be forced to get along with them. There was never a bunch so tenacious as the ones that never returned those years ago..

"Kai, in all the years that you've been here, you've never taken a partner with you," Macao said, leaning on the bar a few feet away from him. "I know this guild isn't much, but it's good to rely on your fellow guildmates once in a while. We're Fairy Tail, it's what we're all about."

Kai's eyes seemed to frown, but he turned away with a mumbled apology. Macao bowed his head in yet another defeat and let Romeo come around to take the seat beside Kai as he wandered away. Kai slowly turned his face again and tilted his head at Romeo. The two boys looked strikingly similar, as if they may have been siblings, but Kai was tall and lithe compared to the younger one.

"Sorry, Kai," Romeo said. "Everyone's always bugging you, aren't they?"

"I don't mind..." Kai replied.

"I have to go with Alzack and Bisca again," he sighed. "I can't wait until my dad finally lets me go out on my own though. You were out on your own when you were my age, weren't you?"

Kai shrugged his shoulders, tugging the scarf under her chin as he took a drink from his mug. It was rare for him to interact with anyone as much as he did with Romeo, but the rest of the guild simply figured that boys would be boys. Kai was a surrogate brother for Romeo since Natsu disappeared.

"Well, I don't have anyone to worry about me anymore," Kai reasoned.

Romeo immediately flushed with embarrassment, realizing his mistake as his mouth spilled apologies. He hadn't thought about his words before he said them. He'd failed to think of Kai and how he'd lost his parents when he was young. Kai came to the guild five years ago because he had no one left to turn to.

"I didn't mean it like that," Romeo scratched the back of his head, bowing it in shame. "Sorry, Kai."

"It's fine," was all Kai mumbled.

Romeo was quiet after that and they sat side by side in an ordinary silence. The two boys conversed often, but they also sat in shared, reflective silence once in a while. This was one of those moments and Romeo chose it to recall the very first time he met Kai.

It was at the tender age of eight. The disappearance of their guild members had left him bitter and resentful that no one seemed to be able to find any trace of them. To Romeo, they'd all lost hope too early and given up too quick. Fairy Tail was falling to shambles as members started to leave and there were no new recruits in sight. Then suddenly, the teenaged boy showed up with the intention of joining. Romeo couldn't fathom why he'd chosen them out of the rest of the guilds, but he had to wait to ask questions until his father finished talking to him and Kinana stamped an orange guild mark on the inside of his left wrist.

The boy was seated at the end of the bar, curiously brushing his fingers over the fresh brand. Romeo took this opportunity to slide into the seat beside him and fix him with a solid stare. It was a moment before the teenager turned his head curiously to stare straight back.

"Who're you?" Romeo asked.

"Kaito," he replied quietly. "You are?"

"I'm Romeo…" he said, tapping his fingers on the countertop. "Why are you here? Haven't you heard? We're the weakest guild in Fiore."

Kaito tilted his head slightly and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't mind," he finally said. "Do you?"

"No… but…" Romeo's brows furrowed and he grit his teeth in frustration. If only his friends had never disappeared, they'd never have come to this pitiful state of being.

"We have our reasons for being here now," Kaito mumbled. "I think that's good enough."

Romeo looked curiously up at the older boy, wondering why he felt a strange heat rise to his face when he stared at him for too long. Kaito glanced over to him and Romeo abruptly tore his eyes away, rubbing his cheeks with the back of his hand with a muttered agreement.

Ever since that day, Romeo figured out that there was more to Kaito than he let on and there was some obscure quality that made him look up to the boy. It was minute characteristics that reminded Romeo of the old guild and although Kai wasn't as boisterous as they were, the will was there.

"Romeo, let's get going," Bisca called, waving at him from the doors.

"See you later, Kai," Romeo said, sliding off the barstool.

"Take care," Kai bid him farewell with a mild salute.

Kai turned back to his drink and traced his finger down the condensation on his mug. The line of his mouth tightened as he listened absentmindedly to the various chatter amongst the few guild members inhabited the shanty tavern.

* * *

It wasn't unusual for a few members of the Twilight Ogre guild to come around every now and then and mess things up. But today wasn't just an average day in the guild. A number of the members had gone off with members of the Blue Pegasus guild to search once more for the lost Tenrou Island after finding clues that the island still existed.

Aside from that, nothing was out of the ordinary. Until Romeo grew fed up with the other guild's remarks and actually spoke up against them. Kai looked up from his place at the end of the table as the younger boy confronted the men who dared talk down on them, using the small amount of fire magic that he'd learned to back his words. Even then, the fire was still small and wouldn't do as much damage as he probably hoped.

"Romeo," Kai said, projecting his voice for once.

But it was too late. Romeo was intent on fighting when his magic failed him and the man called Thibault drew his sword, ready to strike the defiant boy down for his insubordination. Macao moved desperately to stop him, but Kai moved faster. Romeo was shocked as Kai appeared before him, preparing to shield him and take the blow with his back. But Thibault suddenly went flying along with the rest of his crew. Kai pulled back, worriedly peering at Romeo's face as he looked on in shock over his shoulder. Kai turned to see a crowd of unfamiliar faces at the door.

Strangely enough, it turned out to be the guild members that vanished seven years ago. Kai had seen Reedus' drawings time and again and when the mood suddenly changed, he quickly realized that things would be much more lively around the tiny guild from then on. They wasted no time in finding out what happened all those years ago as they interrogated a small, old man that Kai discerned as the previous Master. Kai was just as curious as everyone else as he followed Romeo to the cluster of people.

Then boy with pink hair looked over at them and his face lit up with shock. "Romeo? You've gotten big!" He exclaimed, grinning and reaching over to rub the top of Kai's head with a rough hand. "What the hell? You're almost as tall as me now!"

"Uh…" Kai furrowed his brows and tilted his head back to Romeo. "I'm not…"

"Natsu-nii, I'm right here," Romeo scowled, arms crossed over his chest in annoyance.

Natsu looked to Romeo in surprise and exclaimed in excitement all over again, releasing Kai to continue the same demonstration on him instead.

"Romeo, you're all grown up now," Natsu proclaimed with pride as he grinned.

There were tears of joy, happy laughter, and heartfelt reunions. Kai took the opportunity to slip back to his usual place at one end of the tavern, contemplating the future as he sipped his beer. But it wasn't long until Romeo brought a bunch of them over to the lone boy, sporting the widest smile Kai had ever seen. He adjusted his scarf as if it would prepare him for the oncoming social interaction and managed to greet them politely.

"Kai, I want you to meet my friends," Romeo said. "This is Natsu, Lucy, Gray, and Erza. They're some of the strongest members of Fairy Tail!"

"Romeo always shared fond memories of you," Kai said with a short nod of his head.

"This is Kaito, but we call him Kai," Romeo told the group. "He joined a couple years after you guys disappeared. He's a pretty good mage and he's a good friend."

"I can't believe we actually have a new member. Even though the guild looks like this!" Natsu laughed, reaching over and clapping Kai on the shoulder. It was hard enough to make him wince, but Natsu paid no notice. "Kai, is it? Thanks for looking after Romeo!"

"I wasn't really-" Kai started, but Erza strong armed her way to the front, effectively pushing Natsu off to the side.

"Thank you for taking care of the guild while we were gone," Erza said formally.

"No, I-"

"I'm sorry. You must have gotten used to not being surrounded by such weirdos," the blonde girl named Lucy said with a giggle. "These guys are a rowdy bunch, but they're not so bad."

"Ah…" Kai had given up on trying to get a word in.

He had to spend the rest of the day hunched over the bar beside Romeo as the other members of the guild came over and invaded his usually peaceful area. Kai had to dodge a few fists that flew over his head as he sent a sidelong glance to Romeo beside him. The young teenager looked like he was having such a good time that Kai couldn't bring himself to get up and move. Instead Kai convinced himself to bear with it just for tonight and he quickly ordered yet another beer from Kinana.

Kai had a feeling that his secret would be a lot harder to keep hidden with these guys around.

But he also knew that this was a secret that couldn't stay hidden forever.

Especially with time and a past that was most certainly catching up to him.


	2. Chapter 2

"I thought you left for a job last night."

Kai lifted his chin to look over when someone settled into the seat beside him. It had been quite a few months since the Tenrou team reappeared and according to Romeo, things were finally returning to normal. Normal for him, not so much for Kai, at least. By now, Fairy Tail had managed to reclaim their title as the strongest guild in all of Fiore after their performance in the Grand Magic Games. Kai hadn't been inclined to participate this year, due to the attention his new comrades would be likely to bring, but he ended up acting as a reserve member at the last minute.

It didn't help that afterwards, there was the whole Dragon King Festival. Since then, the rest of the guild was made to acknowledge Kai's level of power and skill, which what he'd been conscious to conceal up until then. It was the last thing he wanted, but when he was facing a dragon intent on eating him whole all the carefully constructed plans flew out the window. Still, Kai was as stubborn as ever and he kept a mindful distance between himself and the guild.

Even so, there were still a few who made it a habit to approach him now and then. Aside from Romeo, it was mainly Team Natsu.

Today it was Gray.

"Simple job," Kai murmured. "Enough for rent."

Gray nodded his head in understanding, raising his hand to Mirajane for a drink. He wasn't entirely familiar with the boy, but he found his company to be rather relaxing as opposed to Natsu's fiery temper. Kai just sat there most of the time and so did Gray. That seemed to be as close to peace as he would ever get when lounging around in Fairy Tail.

Kai, on the other hand, couldn't help but think to himself that these recent events were only bringing him closer to chaos. Then again it was silly to think a person could run forever. Kai had been stationary for far too long and he knew would reap the consequences of it soon enough. He sighed quietly, rubbing his forehead with one hand.

"Gray, Kai," Mirajane smiled at them as she placed a mug in front of Gray. "Perfect! The Master was just asking about you two."

"Eh? Why?" Gray asked, brows furrowing together as he took a swig of his wine.

Kai remained silent, taking a long drink himself as he blinked at Mirajane. He was feeling skeptical about this, but he patiently waited for an explanation.

"Someone's requesting the two of you for a job," Mirajane giggled. "They must've seen you guys at the Grand Magic Games. The job requests are really rolling in these days."

"Really? What kind of job?" Gray leaned forward, interested.

"Something about slaying a demon," she said. "I don't know the details, but they specifically requested you guys."

There was a low chuckle and Kai turned to look at Macao sitting at a table nearby. Kai knew he was laughing because this would be the first time he'd ever take a job with a guild mate. The new Master was much more demanding than Macao ever was, which was why Kai ended up participating in the Grand Magic Games in the first place.

"I'm not interested," Kai murmured, looking away. "Isn't there someone else?"

"What? Come on, Kai," Gray turned to face the lithe boy beside him and leaned forward. "Natsu, Happy, and Lucy took a job without me. And Wendy went off with Erza this morning."

"Juvia?" Kai asked, brow raised.

"She's out with Gajeel," Gray frowned. "I heard you were a recluse, but I didn't think you were this bad. Do you have something against me?"

"No," Kai said immediately, looking over at him with a mild frown.

Gray was giving him with a piteous stare and Kai couldn't help but sigh. Gray seemed fairly tame compared to the fire dragon slayer as long as they weren't together. Still, Kai couldn't help but feel that this was a very bad idea.

"Gray, Kai, did Mira already tell you about the job request?" Makarov suddenly jumped up onto the bar in between them, face a little red from drinking.

When they nodded, the old Master looked thoughtfully to Kai as he rubbed his chin.

"Kai, I've been told that you've never taken a partner on your jobs," he said. "I know you have your doubts, but I'm asking you to try it this time with Gray."

"Alright," Kai finally mumbled, although it was clear that he wasn't looking forward to it. He supposed that it would be alright this one time.

Makarov grinned at them as he handed them the flier before hobbling away. Kai sighed heavily, glancing over it while Gray smiled broadly at him in what he guessed was victory. After while, he offered it to the ice mage with a raised brow at his sudden lack of clothes.

"I can finally show you what being a part of Fairy Tail is all about," Gray said, answering the unspoken question Kai had posed to him as he took the flier from his hand. "It's important to rely on us once in a while."

Kai had nothing to say to that as he finished his drink and sighed again. Gray soon started to talk about making preparations before they agreed to meet at the train station in a few hours and left to go their own ways.

* * *

"Gray, you're pretty good friends with Kai, aren't you?" Lucy smiled as Gray came to sit down at a table with her and Wendy.

"I guess," Gray replied with a shrug. It had been a few weeks since they went on their first job together and it was becoming somewhat of a habit for him to occasionally accompany Kai after that. "He's as stubborn as ever though."

"I'm glad he has someone he can rely on now," Wendy said. "Other than Romeo, at least."

"I try talking to him, but I think he's kind of shy," the blonde mage sighed. "He's so cute though... I don't really go for that type."

Wendy blushed and stared at Lucy with shock. "Lucy, do you-"

"She liiiiikes him," Happy snickered from over her shoulder.

"Happy!" Lucy roared, blushing as she got up to chase the blue exceed around the guild.

It wasn't long before Romeo came over and sat next to Gray, looking a little worried about something he had yet to share. Wendy was busy laughing as Carla was caught up in the antics when the ice mage shifted his attention to the younger boy and tilted his head slightly.

"What's the matter, Romeo?" He asked.

"You went with Kai on his last job, right?" Romeo frowned. "Did he get hurt?"

"No, Kai was fine," Gray replied, furrowing his brows. "Why?"

"He's got these burns, around here," the boy said, gesturing over an area on his abdomen. "They look pretty bad."

"Did you ask him about it?"

"He said he got it on the job, but he's not up to talking much today," Romeo murmured. "He seems a little tense today."

"So he's lying," Gray said flatly, lifting his eyes to the dark haired mage hunched over the counter by himself. "Let's ask him."

Romeo looked startled as Gray stood up and started towards Kai. But halfway there, Natsu collided with him after being swat aside by one of the other guild members. The ice mage was in no mood to deal with the dragon slayer and he promptly sent him flying across the room with a large, conjured hammer. Unfortunately, Gray sent him crashing straight into Kai and Natsu ended up in a heap at his feet. Kai winced, having barely managed to stay on his feet after being knocked off the barstool, cushioned Natsu's fall. He seemed to be asking if the dragon slayer was alright when Natsu's hand snaked up and grabbed the collar of his shirt.

The fire dragon slayer pulled himself up. But the loud sound of tearing fabric cut across the guild, much to Kai and Romeo's horror. It was a mere split second, but a few of them caught a curious glance of the swell of Kai's bosom before he clutched his jacket closed and blushed.

Gray's jaw dropped, as well as a few other guild members that happened to glimpse over at that time. Natsu remained oblivious as he turned to Gray and marched over to him with the intent of revenge. Romeo ran over to Kai quickly, laughing in an exaggerated manner as he took Kai by the arm.

"Kai, I didn't know you were a joker," Romeo announced. "That was funny. You caught us by surprise."

They didn't look entirely convinced, but Jet and Droy reluctantly turned away to discuss what they saw. Meanwhile, Gray was busy wrestling with Natsu as Romeo went on to drag Kai outside. He was quick to launch the pink haired boy over to Elfman, who had no problem carrying on with the brawl. Gray slipped out shortly after that to find Kai standing with Romeo, his jacket zipped all the way up to his neck.

Kai's straight face made everything look normal, but from the bright blush still staining Romeo's cheeks, it was obvious that something was going on. Gray stepped toe to toe with Kai and squinted down at him, taking in his long lashes and the feminine curves of his face. It was still hard to believe and he was almost certain that it was all in his head. But the reactions from the other witnesses told him otherwise.

"Kai, are you a girl?" Gray flat out asked, making Romeo wave his arms about to quiet him.

"It's ok, Romeo," Kai said calmly, taking a step back. "Everyone just assumed I was a boy and I never bothered to correct them."

"Romeo, you knew?" The ice mage looked to the smaller boy with disbelief.

"He's known for a long time," Kai suppressed a smile. "He didn't even tell me."

"Wait, you knew?" Romeo flushed.

"You caught me in the shower when we were younger," Kai told him. "You already seemed so traumatized that I didn't want to rub it in."

Gray and Romeo stared at her, unable to find the words to say. She merely gave them a small, amused smile and crossed her arms over her chest.

"But… why?" Gray asked. "And you're lying about your injuries. Romeo told me. So what are you hiding, Kai?"

"Kaito isn't my real name," she said. "But I just can't be who I was. I'm sorry for lying, but I can't say any more than that. Not now."

"You're hiding from someone," Gray stated, expression stern. "Kai, what sort of trouble are you in? You need to tell us."

Kai looked between them and shrugged her shoulders. "I'm sorry, I can't," she said quietly. "These people are dangerous."

"Screw that," Romeo scoffed. "You're family. We'll protect you no matter what!"

"I know," Kai replied, her violet eyes darkening as she eyed her toes. "That's why none of you can get involved."

She offered them a melancholic smile as she turned and walked away, leaving them no choice but to watch her go. Gray then exchanged a look with Romeo and they nodded their heads in silent agreement. They were very familiar with how hardheaded Kai tended to be, so they would ultimately have to take matters into their own hands.

* * *

Author's Note : This thing is in utter chaos. Dx


	3. Chapter 3

Kai looked at herself in the mirror and fingered the short, uneven ends of her black hair. She never intended to pose as the opposite gender when she first came to Fairy Tail. She was thirteen at the time, but the short hair and unflattering clothing she wore seemed to give everyone the impression that she was a young boy. When she ran away, the clothes were the only things she was able to pilfer and her hair was sloppily chopped with a rusted blade. She was also a bit underdeveloped then, but by the time she was fifteen she had taken to binding her chest and layering her clothes.

In the beginning, Romeo and Macao offered her shelter, but she quickly found her own place when she realized that it made for awkward living. Now she was eighteen and it seemed a little ridiculous to still be going through so much trouble. She pulled off her cap and peeled off her clothes, discarding the torn bandages into the bin. Kai peered at the burns marring her upper arm and gingerly touched her finger to the raw skin peeling along her side.

She sustained the damages yesterday evening as she was on her way home.

At the time, Kai had been so distracted by her thoughts that she didn't realize that something was wrong until everything was silent. She whipped her head around to face the figure trailing behind her.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"I think the proper question is: Who are _you_?" The man had unruly red hair and gaudy sunglasses.

Kai didn't recognize him at all, but the grin he wore was unnerving.

"I'm a member of Fairy Tail," Kai warned, poising herself for a fight. "What do you care?"

"Fairy Tail, huh?" Suddenly, a beam of fire shot forward and Kai was forced to dodge. But the beam seemed to bend at the last minute and scorch her upper arm. Kai winced, clapping a hand over the fresh wound as she glared at her attacker.

"Who sent you?" Kai asked again, only to be met with another rally of attacks.

She took note of his openings then threw a few punches back. Kai was only able to graze him and in return, he landed a strong hit to her abdomen. Her nose filled with the scent of burning fabric and flesh. Kai's back hit the wall hard and she fell crouched to her knees in pain. The man was extremely quick and his magic was unrealistically flexible.

It didn't seem natural.

Kai waited for the red haired man to attack her again, but instead he simply stepped back and gave her a slight bow. He didn't say anything, but her stomach dropped. His gesture mirrored something she recognized from her past and she swallowed. He was probably watching her reaction from behind his sunglasses, but Kai struggled to keep her face straight until he jumped into the air and vanished.

She remained there for a while, rising onto shaking legs as she became aware of the cold sweat on the back of her neck. The sound of two women engaged in casual conversation floated down the alleyway and Kai quickly left the area. The burn on her arm was bothersome, but the burn on her side was almost agonizing.

There was something off about the man's power and Kai suspected that it had something to do with the very person she was hiding from.

Now as she sunk into her bath, she contemplated her past and her options.

Kai had been raised by a young man that she'd only known as her betrothed. She was three when her parents died and she was taken into his home. Of course, at the time, she didn't think anything was wrong with marrying a man that was almost fifteen years her senior. He took care of her and she adored him. Kai never thought to wonder what sort of business he attended to in his laboratory.

It was on a rainy autumn afternoon when she first met the curious boy in the basement. Kai had just turned twelve and she'd picked up a hobby of chasing small animals around the property. It was that fateful day that brought her crawling through the thick hedges that ran all around the mansion in pursuit of a small brown rabbit. Kai didn't think much of anything when she found a small hole in bricks, blocked off by iron bars. She simply peered in, wondering if the rabbit lived inside.

When a pale face popped up out of the darkness, Kai yelped and drew back in surprise.

"Who are you?" She had asked, creeping closer when she realized that it was only a boy.

"Number 15," the boy replied, softly. "Who are you?"

"My name is Aya, I live here with my fiancee. He's a doctor," she smiled. "What are you doing down there?"

The boy peered up at her with bright blue eyes, quiet for a moment before speaking again. "I live down here," he said.

"Really? But it doesn't seem very comfortable," she murmured, squinting into the dark cell that he was in. "Maybe I can ask Vincent to move you up where my room is."

"I can't. I'm sick," the boy frowned. "You're not supposed to be talking to me."

"Oh…" She frowned as well. "You don't look sick… what's your name again?"

"Number 15," he said.

"That's a number. You don't have a name?"

"No."

"Why don't I give you a name?" She offered.

"Ok," he blinked up at her.

"Kaito?" She asked. "It's the name of my doll. He's the Prince of the Moon and has blue eyes like you."

"That sounds nice," his thin, cracked lips turned up into a small smile.

Since then, she made it a habit to visit the strange boy in the basement every afternoon. They would play small games and she would slip him sweets through the rusted bars. Some days, when he was too ill to move, they would just talk and she would tell him stories she memorized from her books.

But she was too naive, too innocent to know the dark truth.

Then the day came when she went to see him and he didn't reply.

Everything changed as these truths came to light and shattered her entire world.

* * *

It was well past midnight when Kai pulled on her hat and slung a modestly sized backpack over her shoulder. She cast one last glance over the small room she'd spent the last five years of her life and turned off the light before locking up.

The night was quiet, but Kai was keen to keep her senses piqued for any movement. At this hour, there were only cats and drunks stumbling about the empty streets of Magnolia. She barely made it over the bridge when she stopped and doubled back, stopping in front of a stack of wooden crates with her hands on her hips.

"What are you doing?" She hissed, glaring down at the small body huddled behind them. "Romeo, if your dad finds out you're out at this hour, he's going to-"

"It's fine! I'm with Gray," Romeo said, peering up at her.

Kai's brows disappeared behind her fringe and a long silence followed. Suddenly, a tall figure jumped out from a niche in the buildings nearby and stepped into the moonlight.

"Idiot, you weren't supposed to mention that," Gray scolded, frowning. "We're just training, that's all."

"Training," Kai repeated. "Really?"

"Yeah," the ice mage crossed his arms over his bare chest, his clothes already missing again. "What are you doing?"

"Walking," she replied, taking a step away. "I'm going to keep walking now."

Gray and Romeo looked at each other as she started off again, but they quickly hurried to trace her footsteps.

"We were about to do some walking too," Romeo said. "What a coincidence, huh?"

"Do whatever you want," Kai snapped, making sure to stay a few strides ahead of them. She ended up wandering aimlessly around Magnolia, hoping they'd eventually lose interest and taper off, but they were persistent.

Eventually she stopped when she wound up back on her own doorstep and spun around to face them with a scowl.

"Seriously, what are you guys doing?" She asked, giving them a scathing glare.

"Making sure you don't disappear," Romeo said innocently.

"Someone's out to get you, right?" Gray asked. "We're just making sure you're alright."

"You're making sure I don't run away," Kai stated dryly.

"That too."

"Go away," she barked, turning around and letting herself back inside, slamming the door shut behind her.

"I think she's mad," Romeo said as the lock clicked into place.

* * *

The next morning, Kai was seated at her usual place at the bar when Lucy came around and took the stool beside her. The blonde seemed a little worried and Kai was hesitant to open herself up to conversation. Despite her reservations, the dark haired mage turned and asked her what was wrong.

"Is something going on, Kai?" Lucy frowned. "Gray and Romeo have been hanging out and acting weird lately."

"I don't know," Kai lied.

Just then a pair of arms slung themselves over their shoulders as Natsu joined them with a wide grin. Lucy looked up at him quizzically while Kai held back a groan. From the look on his face, it didn't seem like anything good.

"Lucy, Kai, let's go on a job together," Natsu said, waving a flier in their faces. "I found a good one."

"I'm not interested," Kai said almost immediately, looking away.

"Aw, come on," Natsu frowned. "You go on jobs with Gray and Lucy says she wants to-"

"Natsu," Lucy laughed nervously. "Kai's busy."

Kai was busy trying to figure out a good opportunity to leave town, but Gray and Romeo seemed intent on stalking her. Then again, she could always head out on a mission and slip away then. The more she thought about it, the better it sounded. Natsu and Lucy had no suspicions either.

"I guess I can come along," Kai said with a shrug. "What kind of job is it?"

"It's a bounty," Natsu grinned. "We just gotta find and catch this guy. It's a nice reward and it sounds like fun."

"Alright, let's do it," Lucy smiled, looking energized.

"Great, let's not mention this to Gray or Romeo, alright?" Kai said, peering around in case they were nearby.

"Sure, Kai," Lucy murmured, tilting her head slightly. "But why?"

"Gray might get a jealous if he sees me going on a mission with Natsu," Kai replied slowly, glancing at her. "You know how they are."

"Oh, I get what you're saying," Lucy snickered. "Don't worry, Kai. We can head out before they catch wind of it. Natsu! Happy! Let's hurry before someone else catches our bounty!"

"Aye sir!" Natsu and Happy pumped their fists into the air, laughing as they often did.

Meanwhile, Kai turned around in her seat and drew a deep breath. With such lively companions, this was certainly going to be an interesting job. Still, she knew this would be her best bet of escaping smoothly. She felt bad when she looked at Lucy and Natsu's smiling faces, but not bad enough to reconsider her decision. Kai liked the guild and its members, which was why she was trying to distance herself in the first place. The last thing she wanted to do was bring anything bad upon them, even if it meant vanishing without a trace.

* * *

Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Once I get a better grasp on where this is going, it should have a better sense of direction. ._. Any and all feedback is appreciated though~


	4. Chapter 4

The train ride wasn't nearly as bad as she thought it would be. Happy spent the entire ride looking after a severely incapacitated Natsu and Kai only had to carry on a minimal conversation with Lucy. She had a nagging feeling that both Gray and Romeo would be furious when they found out that she left, but she forced herself to take comfort in the fact that there was no way they'd be able to catch to her now. She smiled slightly, pleased at how she managed to weasel her way out of her dilemma.

It was quiet and Kai realized that Lucy stopped talking. She blinked and looked at her, wondering why the blonde's face was stained with pink. Kai asked what was wrong and Lucy blushed harder.

"No, it's just that I've never seen you smile like that before," Lucy said bashfully. "Were you thinking about something?"

"Something," Kai echoed, resting her chin on her hand as she gazed over the scrolling landscape.

Her eyes lingered for a long while. Lucy had fallen silent, as did the rest of the car. Kai realized why when she felt the slumbering blonde's head settle on her shoulder. She propped her elbow on the armrest and tucked her hand under her chin, leaning her forehead against the glass and closed her eyes as well.

It hadn't been very long since the guild's core members returned with the fire she'd previously only heard of, but she would admit that she'd had fun in the short time she spent with them. Lucy, Natsu, and Happy were no exception.

Maybe if her circumstances were different, they might have been friends.

They arrived at the desert town shortly before dusk and Kai was the one who had to physically drag Natsu's limp body off the stopped train. A good amount of time was spent coaxing Natsu out of his sick stupor and when they finally moved on, the sky was a vivid blend of red orange hues and shades of violet. The four of them paid a visit to the local authorities that had sent the flier and set to work shortly after.

"We got here just in time," Lucy said, determination etched into her brow. "They said that this guy is most active at night. We'll get him before sunrise for sure!"

"The town isn't very big," Kai murmured. "Let's split up."

"Great idea, Kai!" Natsu beamed. "Happy and I will go this way. You and Lucy can go that way."

They agreed and went their separate ways without any delay.

* * *

Kai slipped past the attack and retaliated with a roundhouse kick wrapped in light. Their bounty went flying into a stone wall with enough force to knock him out. She let out a breath and looked up when she heard the heels of Lucy's boots fast approaching. Kai turned and scaled a stack of barrels lining the wall, barely clearing the crest as she caught a glimpse of her gold locks rounding the corner.

Landing softly on the other side, she wasted no time before taking off on her own into the night. Kai discarded her hat along the way, as well as her scarf. Guilt swelled in her stomach, but she refused to stop running until she was sure that there wasn't any chance that they would find her. Maybe she shouldn't have left Lucy alone, but the celestial spirit mage was strong and Kai was sure that she could handle herself. Kai stopped, caught her breath, and straightened again, looking over her shoulder as she started forward again at a more relaxed pace.

She let out a quiet 'oof' when she walked straight into something and stumbled back a step.

Kai looked up and froze, eyes growing wide when she peered up at the familiar face glaring down at her. She blinked once before whipping around to make an escape, but a strong hand clamped down on her arm and yanked her back. Kai sighed, grudgingly turning to glower at the ice mage in her way.

"What are you doing here?" Kai asked with a frown.

"I should ask you the same," Gray growled down at her.

"I'm on a job with Lucy, Natsu, and Happy," she shot back. "Now let go of me."

"I don't believe you," he replied with a narrow eyed stare.

Kai glared back in defiance until a faint blush rose to Gray's cheeks and he was forced to glance away. She smirked, fancying herself a personal victory, but it didn't last long as he suddenly crouched down and threw her over his shoulder.

"Gah! What the hell are you doing? Put me down!" She cried, trying to wriggle out of his grasp. "Gray, I'm serious!"

"So am I," the ice mage snapped. "Sorry, but I'm not the type of guy who lets anything my friends do stupid things."

Kai stopped struggling. Then she started to laugh. It was dark and a little bitter, but he couldn't see the sardonic smile settling into the curve of her mouth.

"You don't even know my name," she uttered. "How can we be friends?"

Gray was silent but he kept walking as the truth of her words bared down on both their backs. Kai felt a twinge of guilt for saying something so nasty, especially when he was only doing what he believed was best. That was the kind of person Gray was, after all, and it was why she had grown fond of both him and the guild in the first place.

"I don't care who you were in the past or who the hell is after you," Gray finally replied. "But you're one of us and all that matters to me is who you are now. Quit being so stubborn and rely on us for once, will you?"

"You don't understand who he is, what he's capable of," Kai whispered. "You don't understand what I'm capable of."

"What are you talking about, Kai?"

"Up until now, I've been closest to Romeo. It was fine for a while, but they're getting too close now," she murmured. "He'll find a way to get what he wants. He always does."

"Kai-"

"I don't think you understand, Gray. I stole something precious from a man who has no remorse for the lives he destroys in the name of science. He's murdered countless people without names and I took the fruit of his labor not long after he attained it," Kai snorted with laughter when she thought about it. She could just imagine how furious he was when he found out. "He'll kill you. He'll kill all of you."

"I don't care. I'm not gonna just sit around and let you wander in wait until they kill you," Gray insisted stubbornly.

"Unfortunately, he can't kill me," she replied with a slight smirk. "I'm safe in my own way because I have the serum, but you aren't. He'll use all of you against me."

Kai propped her hands on his back and took this opportunity to yank her legs free so she could land on her feet behind him. She put her hands on her hips and bit the inside of her cheek as he turned to make sure she wasn't running away again. But she made no move to escape.

"I'm a selfish person," Kai explained. "I'm running because I don't want to get hurt. I don't want to be blackmailed. And I don't want to be coerced."

"You really think so little of us, Kai?" He asked.

"You know that's not it," she replied, softening when she saw something that resembled hurt in his dark eyes. "I'll never forgive myself if anything happens to anyone in Fairy Tail."

"He's over here!" Happy's small voice sounded from above. "Gray is here too!"

"Kai!" Lucy came running with such speed that she was already leaping into the air when Kai turned around. The dark haired mage let out a yelp as the blonde slammed into her and she stuck her foot out to balance them both before they fell. "I was so worried. We thought something happened to you!"

"Yeah, we had to punch this guy a few times to get him to give us your whereabouts," Natsu snickered, dragging the severely beaten criminal behind him. "But you're alright after- What's he doing here? You're not getting a cut of our reward, Gray!"

"Who needs any of your reward?" Gray scoffed. "This is just a coincidence."

"Well, since you're here, you should just stay with us," Lucy smiled. "We're just going to turn him in and head back to the inn for the night."

"It's pretty late anyways," the ice mage mumbled, sending a side glance to Kai, who turned away to scratch her head with a shrug.

Natsu complained, but they set off to collect their bounty before retiring to the inn for the night. Lucy said that Gray could simply room in with all of them, but he grabbed his own room at the last minute.

"Kai can just stay in my room. These rooms only have two beds," Gray said, throwing his arm over Kai's shoulders and giving the other three a grin.

"What's with you, Gray?" Natsu narrowed his eyes at him. "When it comes to Kai, you're always-"

"He liiiiiiikes him." Happy snickered.

Lucy's jaw fell open and she gasped as she turned a bright shade of red. Gray blushed furiously as he vehemently denied their accusations, coming close to exchanging blows with the antagonizing dragon slayer. Kai slapped her hand over her face and snatched Gray by the neck as his clothes went flying.

"You guys are ridiculous," Kai said, waving them away with her hand. "Let's just go to sleep and head back early tomorrow."

Gray scowled, still being mocked by both Natsu and Happy as Lucy bid them good night. He waited until they made it to the room before complaining.

"Can't you just come out already and tell everyone you're a girl?" Gray asked.

"It won't change anything. They'll tease you no matter what," Kai replied, moving to the bed closest to the door. "And besides, it's easier being a boy."

"You think so?" Gray moved to the other bed and fell on top of it.

"I know so," she mumbled, peeling off all her clothes.

Gray had been relaxing on his side of the room when he caught sight of her undressing. He blushed, torn between looking away and sneaking glances.

"W-what are you doing?" He asked.

"I'm going to wash up… You strip all the time, so what's the big deal?" Kai asked, crossing the room to the bath with some clothes in hand. Even though her chest was still in it's binding, her curves of her hips and the shapes of her legs were obviously feminine.

"That's different," Gray insisted, staring a hole into the wall.

"I don't think so," Kai replied, disappearing as the door close behind her.

Gray had to stay awake and wait, just in case she decided to slip out the window and make a run for it. She emerged shortly after, sporting a large t-shirt that hindered the swell of her waist and her bosom. Kai flopped onto her bed and rolled over with a big sigh as she hugged a pillow to her chest.

"You don't have to trouble yourself with watching me, Gray," she murmured. "I'm capable of watching myself."

"It's no trouble to me," he insisted, crossing his arms over his chest as he eyed her from across the room.

"I won't try to leave," Kai finally sighed. "I know if I do, you and Romeo would probably get into just as much trouble looking for me. At least if I stay, you have the support of the guild."

"You swear?"

"I swear, I swear," she rolled over in her bed. "Just go to sleep."

Gray seemed to take her word for it and soon turned off the lights. Silence reigned until the soft sound of his steady breathing filled the small room. Kai rolled over again and peered at the shirtless ice mage who was already sound asleep. She didn't mention it, but this was probably going to be the last of the little time she had left. If she was doomed, she'd rather spend her remaining hours surrounded by friends. Kai was selfish in that way, but as much as she hated the idea, time was running out.

Vincent was some sort of a monster, but he was always a man of his word. At the least, Kai could always strike a deal with the man to ensure the safety of the guild and its members for her cooperation. She took comfort in that fact as she closed her eyes and let herself drift off to sleep.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for the feedback! I can't help but wonder if this is getting too boring. D: I'll have to spice things up soon?


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